The commitments and responsibility of the associations towards the international media are to provide information, news and access to players and officials, while protecting the game and the players. A. Qualifying competition

29.02

Each association must appoint a press officer to coordinate cooperation between the team and the media in accordance with UEFA’s regulations and guidelines. Where requested, the press officer assists UEFA in compiling editorial features and statistics to help promote the competition. The press officer must attend all home matches as well as travel with the team to away fixtures in order to coordinate all media arrangements, and cooperate with the press officer of the host association and the UEFA media officer, if appointed by UEFA. The visiting team’s press officer must send a full list of media accreditation requests at least five working days before the match to the press officer of the host association. Both press officers must ensure that all accreditation requests come from bona fide media representatives covering football and/or subjects related hereto.

29.03

For all matches in the qualifying competition, an adequate number of seats must be put at the disposal of both local and visiting media representatives. These seats must be covered and allow a clear view of the whole pitch. At least half of these seats must be equipped with desks, power supply, telephone points and internet access.

29.04

The teams must arrange to hold an official training session the day before the match in the city where the match is to be played. This training session has to be open to media representatives (TV and radio representatives, written press, website journalists and photographers) for at least 15 minutes. If media access is limited to 15 minutes, the host association, together with the team press officer, is responsible for ensuring that the stadium is clear of media after 15 minutes, and that permanently installed cameras are turned off.

Press conferences

29.05

Each team must hold a pre-match press conference the day before the match. Ideally, the press conference will be staged in the stadium but, in any case, they must take place in the city where the match is to be played. The press conferences of both teams must be arranged so that a media representative can attend both, and so that media deadlines in the countries concerned can be respected. Each press conference must be attended by at least the head coach of the team plus one or, preferably, two players. The host association is responsible for providing a qualified interpreter and any technical facilities necessary.

29.06

The post-match press conference at the venue must start no later than 20 minutes after the final whistle. The host association is responsible for providing a qualified interpreter and any technical facilities necessary. Both teams are obliged to make their head coach, as well as a player, available for this press conference. Both press officers, taking into consideration the interviews for the broadcasters, decide on the order of the coaches attending the press conference.

Mixed zone

29.07

After the match, a mixed zone must be set up for the media on the way from the dressing rooms to the team transport area. This area – accessible only to coaches, players and representatives of the media – must be divided into four areas: one for the TV rights-holders (with UEFA HB to be included within such classification), one for written press, one for radio reporters and one for TV non-rights holders. The host association must ensure that the area is safe and not accessible by the general public or any other non-authorised people. All players of both teams are obliged to pass through the mixed zone but they are not obliged to give interviews.

Interviews

29.08

All interview requests have to be coordinated with and approved by the UEFA media officer, if appointed. All interview locations must be pre-determined by the UEFA media officer, if appointed. All interviews are to be held with prior consent of the interviewees. Interviews are not permitted before, during or after the match on the field of play itself or in its immediate vicinity. However, "upon arrival", "half-time" and "flash" interviews can take place under the following circumstances.

a)"Upon arrival" interviews are allowed with coaches and players upon their arrival at the stadium, at a pre-determined location where a fixed camera can be positioned before entry to the dressing rooms. Such interview requests must be coordinated with and approved by the team press officers. Once the coaches and players have entered the dressing rooms, no further interviews are permitted.

b)A "half-time" interview may only be conducted in a designated area outside the technical zone. The press officer of the host association may designate an area between the substitutes’ benches and dressing rooms upon request. Teams, if they agree, can only make one of their listed team officials available for this purpose. No players, including those on the substitutes’ bench, may be interviewed at half-time.

c) "Flash" interviews may last a maximum of 90 seconds and take place immediately after the final whistle in an area between the substitutes’ benches and the dressing rooms, which is pre-determined by the press officer of the host association. Both teams must make their head coach and at least one key player available.

d) Players who have been sent off may not be interviewed.

Media positioning

29.09

The press officer of the host association must ensure that:

a) no media representatives are allowed on the field of play before, during or after the match, with the exception of a hand-held host broadcaster camera crew covering the team line-ups before the match, and a wireless host broadcaster camera filming after the final whistle, if this has been previously approved by the press officer of the host association;

b) non-authorised media representatives are not allowed on the playing area or the area between the boundaries of the field and the spectators. Only media representatives who have been granted permission as agreed by the press officer of the host association (and/or the visiting team) are allowed to carry out their work in the specific locations assigned to them (Annexe IIa and IIb);

c)no media representatives are allowed in the players’ tunnel or the dressing room area, with the exception of "flash" interviews in the predefined positions and a host broadcaster camera in a fixed position covering the teams during the stud control before they enter the pitch;

d) the dressing rooms are off limits to representatives of the media before, during and after the match with the exception of a host broadcaster camera filming the team kits in the dressing rooms before the arrival of the teams.

B. Final tournament

29.10

Each participating association must appoint a press officer for the whole tournament to coordinate media matters in cooperation with his team, the press officer of the opposing team and the media as well as UEFA in accordance with UEFA’s rules and regulations. The press officer assists UEFA in compiling editorial features and statistics to help promote the competition, and compile information for UEFA’s official media platforms for the tournament. The association’s press officer must attend all media activities as well as travel with the team to all matches.

29.11

The day before the match, the teams must arrange to hold an official training session at the stadium where the match is to be played. In case of bad pitch conditions, UEFA can request the teams to hold the official training session at a different venue. This training session has to be open to media representatives (TV and radio representatives, written press, website journalists and photographers) for at least 15 minutes. If media access is limited to 15 minutes, it is the responsibility of the UEFA media officer (in cooperation with the team press officer) to ensure the stadium is clear of media 15 minutes following the scheduled or actual start of the training session, whichever is later, and that all permanently installed TV cameras are switched off.

Official UEFA press conferences

29.12

Each team must hold an official UEFA press conference the day before each of their matches and one immediately after the match (post-match UEFA press conference). Official UEFA press conferences must always be held at the stadium where the match is to be played. Official UEFA press conferences have to be organised in cooperation with the UEFA media officer in order to help media representatives meet their deadlines in the countries concerned. Each official UEFA press conference must be attended by at least the head coach of the team plus one or, preferably, two players. Access to these official press conferences must be open to all accredited media representatives. UEFA-provided backdrops must be used at all official press conferences.

29.13

The official post-match UEFA press conference at the match stadium must start no later than 20 minutes after the final whistle. Both teams are obliged to make their head coach, as well as at least one, preferably two players, available for this press conference. The UEFA media officer, taking into consideration the interviews for the broadcasters, decides on the order of the coaches attending the press conference. The team press officers may be asked to provide interpretation.

Mixed zone

29.14

After the match, a mixed zone must be set up for the media on the way from the dressing rooms to the team transport area. This area – accessible only to coaches, players and representatives of the media – is divided into areas with different access as determined by UEFA. The host associations ensure that the area is safe and not accessible by the general public or any other unauthorised people. All players of both teams are obliged to pass through the mixed zone but they are not obliged to give interviews. UEFA issues the appropriate access passes.

Accreditations

29.15

Accreditation of media representatives is the soleresponsibility of UEFA. The associations are consulted by UEFA for careful checking of applications received from media representatives from their countries. All applicants receive a written response to their accreditation application as soon as possible after the application deadline, which is announced in due time. Accreditation applications are processed via the UEFA online accreditation system.

29.16

The final decision on acceptance or refusal of accreditation applications is the sole responsibility of UEFA at its entire discretion. In addition, UEFA may withdraw an accreditation at any time.

29.17

Access devices for individual matches are distributed to the media by UEFA.

Interviews

29.18

All interview requests have to be coordinated with and approved by the UEFA media officer. All interview locations must be pre-determined by the UEFA media officer. All interviews are to be held with the prior consent of the interviewees. Interviews are not permitted before, during or after the match on the field of play itself or in its immediate vicinity. However, "upon arrival", "half-time", "super flash" and "flash" interviews can take place under the following circumstances.

a)"Upon arrival" interviews are allowed with coaches and players upon their arrival at the stadium, at a pre-determined location where a fixed camera can be positioned before entry to the dressing rooms. Once the players and coaches have entered the dressing rooms, no further interviews are permitted.

b) A "half-time" interview may only be conducted in a designated area outside the technical zone. The UEFA media officer may designate an area between the substitutes’ benches and dressing rooms upon request. Teams, if they agree, can only make one of their listed team officials available for this purpose. No players, including those on the substitutes’ bench, may be interviewed at half­time.

c) "Flash" interviews last a maximum of 90 seconds each and take place immediately after the final whistle in an area between the substitutes’ benches and the dressing rooms, which is pre-determined by the UEFA media officer. Both teams must make their head coach and at least two key players, i.e. players who had a decisive influence on the result, available for multiple interviews.

d) Players who have been sent off may not be interviewed.

Media positioning

29.19

The UEFA media officer, assisted by both press officers of the teams, must ensure that:

a) no media representatives are allowed on the field of play before, during or after the match, with the exception of the approved operations of UEFA HB;

b) non-authorised media representatives are not allowed on the playing area or the area between the boundaries of the field and the spectators. Only media representatives who have been granted permission by the UEFA media officer (or the approved operations of UEFA HB) are allowed to carry out their work in the specific locations assigned to them;

c)no media representatives are allowed in the players’ tunnel or the dressing room area, with the exception of flash interviews in UEFA-approved positions and the approved operations of UEFA HB; and

d)the dressing rooms are off limits to representatives of the media before, during and after the match with the exception of the approved operations of UEFA HB.